Game or recreation table



Jan. 4, 1944. J. H. MQCQQL 2,338,253l @AME 0R RECREATIO TABLE 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Nov. l, 1941 If Il Jan. 4, 1944. J, H. MccooL GAME OR RECREATIYQN'TABLE Filed Nov. l, 1941 2 SheetsSheet 2 www,

gli. I... l#

INVENTOR. 77ZC 60395 Q ff) BYOjawL @NNW U ov. @@U fhwu Patented Jan. 4, 1944 UNITED STATES i'TEli-JT GFFICE GAME OR RECREATION TABLE James H. McCool, Topeka, Kans.

Application November 1, 1941, Serial No. 417,466

6 Claims.

My present invention relates to game boards or recreation tables, and it has more particular relation to the construction of what are known as billiard and pool tables.

Boards or tables of this character are usually provided along their longitudinal sides and ends with rails that have resilient cushions along their inner faces to cause the balls to rebound, and they may or may not be provided with pockets at the corners and intermediate the ends of the longitudinal sides, depending upon Whether the structure is used for playing the game of pool-or billiards.

Many of the tables have heretofore been provided with ornate side portions that extend in wardly in an oblique manner and the supporting legs are frequently lathe-turned members of scroll design and the like. Due to the modern trend in furniture designing this type of table is becoming obsolete as it is now the practice to present to the observer a` more solid appearance having vertical and horizontal lines or planes. The structure which I have invented is adapted to be installed on an old-style table to thereby convert it into an article having a modernistic appearance and up-to-date in design.

In connection With my improvements I have provided means at one of the rails wherein the playing pieces or balls may be readily racked and at the same time be Visible to all the players at all times. Also I have provided a novel gutter arrangement to receive the balls from the pockets, and I have mounted panels beneath the rails which obscure the gutter, one of these panels being provided with an elongated opening adjacent the racking means above mentioned to permit the player to readily remove the balls which he has shot into the pockets and deposit them in the rack. The gutter is supported in a novel manner, preferably by the rails above it so that the rails and gutter constitute a unitary element which is adapted to be easily and quickly secured to the table of the structure.

My invention aims to provide a game table of the character disclosed that is novel in the construction and arrangement of its various parts; that is dependable in performing its functions; that is effective providing a way to readily convert an obsolete table into one which is up-todate; and is economical to manufacture so that it may be sold to the user for a reasonable retail price.

Other aims and advantages of my invention will be apparent to persons who are skilled in the art after the construction and operation of my improvements are understood from the disclosure made herein. I prefer to accomplish the numerous objects in substantially the manner hereinafter fully described and as particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto, reference being made to the accompanying drawings that form a part of this specication.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan of a table made in accordance with my invention.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal side elevation of the table shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an end elevation, slightly enlarged, looking at the right-hand portion of the table illustrated in Figures 1 and 2.

Figure 4 is an enlarged plan view looking at the lower left-hand portion of Figure 1 with portions of the rail and cushion removed to disclose certain underneath parts.

Figure 5 is a vertical section taken longitudinally on Figure 4, the View being on 4the plane oi line 5-5 on said Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a vertical transverse section on the plane of line 6 6 on Figure 3, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows and drawn to a larger scale than said ligure.

Figure 7 is a vertical section of the rail, gutter, and panel portions oi my improvement, the respective parts being separated to clearly illustrate the simple manner of assembly.

Figure 8 is a transverse section on line 3--8 of Figure 4 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

It will be appreciated that the drawings are more or less diagrammatic, and that they are for the purpose of disclosing a typical or preferred embodiment of my said improvements. In these drawings the same reference characters are used for identifying the same parts in the different views thereof.

In the drawings, it will be seen that the playing portion of the table comprises a flat bed Il) of rectangular outline that is usually a slab of slate o1' other material, below which there is a similarly Shaped frame H upon which the bed rests and which is connected to and is supported by the usual legs which are not shown. A cushion block t2 extends along the margins of the bed lil and has the resilient cushion I3 secured to it to receive the impact of the balls striking the same. The rail consists of a main body portion i4 of rectangular shape in cross-section, and it has a fiat top-piece or nis'hing strip l5 secured to its upper surface in any suitable manner. The top-piece, as seen in Figures 6 and of the drawings, is wider than the main body I4, and it is disposed with its inner edge abutting and secured to the adjacent face of the cushion block, while its outer portion extends beyond and overhangs the outer face of the rail body I4.

The edges of the bed have recesses or sockets in which nuts It are imbedded to permit the ready anchoring of the rail assembly by means of elongated bolts l' that pass horizontally and transversely through the rail member I4. The Shanks of these bolts are disposed in horizontally elongated slots It which permits the accommodation of the bolts with respect to the nuts I6 which are frequently found at various locations on diiferent tables. Pocket openings I9 are provided in the rail assemblies at the usual locations on game tables or recreation tables such as are herein mentioned, but these pocket openings are not provided with the net-like holder or basket which is usually found on 'pool tables and the like.

l have placed suitable chutes or ramps 20 below the pocket openings i9, which ramps incline downward in the same general direction as the inclined gutters 2| that extend from one end to the other of the sides of the table below the pocket openings and also below the chutes 20 far enough to permit a ball to roll down the gutter and pass under and clear the ramps or chutes. It is preferred to form the chutes 20 of metal bent U- shape and covered with leather, rubber or other material, and it will be apparent that any foreign matter, such as chalk, dust, or small articles will be shed from the pockets and chutes and thus will not interfere with the operation of the structure in any manner.

The gutters 2l may be either concave-faced boards or spaced parallel slats, and they are supported from the main body member I4 of the rails by means of hangers 22 that are secured by screws at their upper portions to the outer faces of said member iii and at their lower ends are similarly attached to the outer edges of the gutters. When the rails and gutters are constructed in the manner hereinbefore described a unitary assembly is provided that consists of the cushion and its block, the main body and top-piece of the rail, and the gutter with the chutes that direct the balls into the gutter. Thus, when it is desired to rehabilitate or modernize an obsolete design of table, the rails with the old-style pockets are removed therefrom and this unitary member assembled in their place. This change-over is quickly and easily made, and it is performed without requiring the use of special tools or an expert skilled mechanic.

.As before stated herein, suitable means or instrumentalities have been provided by me for the purpose of rehabilitating an old-style or obsolete type of table whereby such table may be readily changed over into one which has a distinctive and modernistic appearance to the observer. I have been able to accomplish this in a very simple manner by means of vertical panels 23 which are detachably mounted upon the longitudinal sides and transverse ends of the table substantially in the manner shown herein. The panels 23 are of suiiicient width or height so that they will extend from the overhanging portions of lthe top-pieces or iinishing strips I of the rail unit downwardly to a horizontal plane that will permit the panels to entirely hide the gutters 2l. The lower edges of the panels are seated in longitudinal grooves 24 in the top surfaces of the longitudinal strips 25 as shown in Figures 6 and '7 of the drawings, and said strips are provided with vertical transverse holes 2S, back of the planes of the panels, through which bolts 2l are inserted and screwed upwardly into threaded holes 28 in the lower ends of the hangers 22. The over-hanging portions or lips of the top-pieces I5 of the rails are provided with longitudinal grooves 29 into which the upper margins of the panels are inserted prior to the tightening of the bolts 21. In this manner the panels are readily mounted in place so that they are adapted to present a neat and attractive appearance to the table, while at the same time permitting said panels to be quickly removed whenever desired.

The transverse end panel, which is identified as 23a, and which is disposed alongside the lowermost portions at the ends of the gutters as one end of the table, is provided with a horizontally elongated opening 29a the margin of which is surrounded by a protecting shield 3D of any suitable material. This arrangement permits the players to remove the balls which they have shot into the various pocket openings I9 and which have gra'vitated down the chutes and the gutters to the location of this access opening 29a. The top-piece IIJ of the end rail which is above this panel opening has an elongated recess 3l, and below this recess there is a horizontal transversely disposed shelf or ledge 32 that projects from the upper portion of said end panel 23a and which constitutes the bottom of the recess. The upper edge of this panel 23a is cut-away as shown in Figure 6, and said top edge, together with the upper surface of the shelf is hollowed out to provide a channel 33 in which the balls may be conveniently racked when they have been removed by the respective players from the adjacent and lower section of the gutter 2l which is immediately below the shelf or rack.

The outer portions of the pocket-openings I9 are formed by means of arcuate or curved plates 34 which are preferably of the same vertical dimensions or height as the panels 23. These curved plates have their vertical end edges provided with grooves 34ia into which the adjacent vertical edges of the proximate panels are inserted in the manner substantially as shown in detail in Figures 4 and 5 of the drawings. In this manner the pocket portions of the rails form a part of and become integral with the unitary structure of the rails, panels and gutters, thereby' providing a structure capable of easy and quick assembly with the table bed.

What I claim as new is:

l. An end structure for a pool table embodying an elongated rail extending along the end of the table bed; a gutter member below said rail; and a vertical panel beneath said rail and disposed to obscure said gutter member, said panel provided with a suitably shaped opening opposite a portion of the gutter member through which opening access is afforded for removal of an object from the gutter.

2. An end structure for a pool table embodying an elongated rail extending along the end of the table bed; a gutter member below said rail; hangers secured to and depending from said rail and supporting said gutter member in spaced relation to said rail; and a kvertical panel beneath said rail and disposed to obscure said gutter member; said panel provided with a suitably shaped opening affording access to said gutter for removal of an object therefrom.

3. An end structure for a pooltable embodying an elongated rail extending along the end ci the table bed; said rail provided with an elongated recess in its outer edge; a shelf below said recess providing support for articles in said recess; a gutter member below said rail; hangers a secured to and depending from said rail and supporting said gutter member in spaced relation to said rail; and a vertical panel beneath said rail and disposed to obscure said gutter member, said panel provided with a suitable shaped opening -below said shelf aiording access to said gutter for removal of an object therefrom.

4. An end structure for a pool table embodying an elongated rail extending along the end of the table bed, said rail provided with an elongated recess in its outer edge; a shelf providing the bottom of said recess for reception of articles; a gutter member below said rail; and a vertical panel beneath said rail and disposed to obscure said gutter member, said panel provided with a suitably shaped opening affording access to the gutter for removal of an object therefrom, said panel also provided with a recess in its top edge coacting with the rail recess to provide a ball rack at the top of the table.

5. A pool table comprising a bed; an elongated rail member detachably secured to an edge of said table bed; and a cushion on said rail member projecting inwardly from said rail member over said table bed; in combination with a structure adapted to be readily attached as a complete unit to said rail member, said unitary structure comprising a gutter below said rail member; means pendant from said rail member and secured to said gutter to support the latter in spaced relation to said rail member; a vertical panel beneath said rail member in front of and obscuring said gutter and said pendant means; devices for maintaining said panel in intimate association with said rail member and said gutter; a recess in the outer portion of said rail member; and a shelf on the upper portion of said panel adjacent said rail mem-ber recess and constituting therewith a ball rack at the top of the table and in the approximate horizontal plane of said table bed.

6. A pool table comprising a bed provided with a rail-attaching socket in its edge; in combination with a detachable structure embodying a rail provided with a channel in its outer portion; a cushion on the inner portion of said rail; means engaged with said rail and With said socket detachably securing said rail to the edge of said bed With said cushion disposed inwardly of the edge of said bed; pendant members on said rail; a gutter supported by the lower portions of said pendant members; a panel in front of and obscuring said gutter and pendant members, the upper edge of said panel seated in the channel of said rail; a lateral member projecting inwardly from the lower portion of said panel; and means engaged with said lateral member and said pendant members for forcing said panel firmly into the channel of said rail.

JAMES H. MCCOOL. 

